"Equipping People For Their Purpose+

Primary Menu

Month December 2016

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes In Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

God lost His children not too long after He created them because sin built a wall between them. But, God had a plan. When the time was right He would send part of Himself to earth to be the sacrifice that was needed for the wall of sin to be torn down. The world had been told for hundreds and hundreds of years that a Savior would come. But, when the time came, all the signs were ignored because the Savior came as a babe, not a king. Don’t you miss the signs of God calling you back to Him; to the safety of a garden built by God for His children.

No One Knew His Name

The babe was born for all mankind
But no one knew His name.
He left his Father, where He was King
and to earth as a babe He came.

Mary and Joseph had traveled so far
knowing Jesus was soon to be born.
With no room at the inn their choices were few
but the stable left Mary’s heart torn.

As Mary labored to birth God’s babe,
the angels a concert they gave,
to the shepherds, the lowly, the announcement came
as Jesus, in a manger, was laid.

Though shepherds came to pay respect
to the baby the angels proclaimed.
Bethlehem lay fast asleep
so nobody knew His name.

The Star shone announcing the birth,
the One foretold through the ages.
But the people were caught up in the myth they believed
the one told by priests and sages.

A great and mighty king would come
to vanquish their foes all around.
So they looked for a crown, a warrior, a king,
for the trumpets to give mighty sounds.

No one looked for the babe God had planned,
His Son who would one day become,
the sacrifice needed so sins are forgiven
and back to our Father we’d come.

The babe was born for all mankind,
but no one knew His name.
His road was set from birth to death.
It was the reason that He came.

To restore God’s children back to Him,
out of Love, for it brought no fame,
cause the world didn’t get why He was here,
and they didn’t know His name.

Many times, I see parents who put their children above everything; above their other children, their marriage and their relationship with God. These parents are sometimes referred to as ‘helicopter parents (however I call them child worshipers) as they persistently hover over their children, micro-managing their every activity. These parents pay close attention to every detail of their children lives trying to shield them from every Injury, failure and most importantly, rejection. They want ‘HAPPY KIDS’ and believe pastors, teachers and others should pay attention to their children in the same “helicopter” way.Research by professors at Brigham Young University indicate that, despite their good intentions, helicopter parents’ overprotective nature might be the reason their children sometimes skip class and turn in assignments late.

Professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Larry Nelson studied 438 students from four universities around the country. About one-fourth of the students reported that parents “make important decisions for me.” And about one-third of the parents reported that they make important decisions for their children.

In their analysis of the data, Padilla-Walker and Nelson found that this seems to backfire in terms of school engagement. As they write in the October 2014 issue of the Journal of Adolescence, this is about more than just homework.

“It would seem that emerging adults should be personally invested in their own growth and development by solving their own problems with roommates, making their own decisions about employment, and seeking their own help from professors,” write the study authors. “By not doing so, emerging adults may be robbing themselves of the experiences and practice necessary to develop skills that are essential for success in marriage, careers, and adult social interactions.”

So, let’s look at some of the ways parents treat children as their god by asking this question “Are your children your god?”

1. Your time with your children keeps you from personal worship, prayer, and bible study?

2. When your need to make your children happy keeps you from appropriately disciplining them.

3. Your children are an excuse for not going to church or serving in the church.

4. When your identity is found in your children to the point that you are easily puffed up or easily shattered based on your children’s actions.

5. When your children’s activities become a barrier to you sharing your faith or interacting with your community.

6. When you live in constant fear for them, often losing sleep, and irrationally trying to over protect them.

7. When you use your kids to make yourself look good.

8. When you need your kids to like you so you give them what they want out of a fear of rejection.

9. Your time, energy, and focus says your children mean more to you than your spouse.

10. You easily become offended when others don’t treat your children special.

And there are so many more questions we could ask, however, the biggest question is “Where is your trust?” I recall my wife telling me how she felt I was too hard on our boys, how I didn’t worry enough or was at times harsh with them about things she felt were trivial. I would then remind her that someday our boys would be the head of their households, employees, husbands and fathers. I had to allow them to fail so that they in turn would learn how to overcome in times of adversity and I had to be harsh with them so they would be accountable for how they were as head of their households, employees, husbands and fathers. I had to show them that my trust was in the Lord for their wellbeing, as we often would pray over our children, lay hands on them and anointing them with oil, we would declare the word of the Lord over them.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Rather than hovering over and worshipping your children, speak life into your children and equip them for the ups and downs. Equip them for the successes and failures of life. Equip them to be good employees, husband/wives, fathers/mothers and citizens, both in the natural and the spiritual. The word of the Lord says;

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I’m sure by now most people have heard the phrase garbage in garbage out but what exactly does that mean??? Kind of like how Pastor Victor has been preaching about becoming and not becoming a part of our culture. We literally become what we consume and I’m not talking food. I often tell my girls even if someone chooses not to stand for God they’re still standing for something.

Listen to the lyrics in a lot of the songs today. There’s a whole lot of sadness, confusion and anger. That is not where God calls us. We as a culture, a public, a human race are allowing ourselves to be deceived and many are so lost they don’t even hear what they allow themselves to be subjected to. So now we have garbage in but what goes in will come out. What image are you living and giving?

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:5-6‬ ‭NLT